A variety of activities, workshops, and seminars are available to groups. Pre-booking is required to take advantage of these possibilities. A maximum group size of 20 is best for most workshops,  but larger groups can be accommodated, as long as you are aware that  increasing the group size also increases the time a workshop will take. Please plan to pay by cash or check, as we do not take credit cards.

Paper Airplane Workshop / Paper Airplane Contest:*

 Got a bunch of active youngsters? We’ll show them how to make 3 different paper airplanes. Then it’s time for  test  flying or a contest, if you prefer. If you wish to have a contest, let us know the information about your organization in  advance, and we’ll provide custom-designed certificates for the  winners. Prizes are up to you, as there is no additional charge for  this activity, but there’s plenty to choose from in the Museum Shop!

Kite-Making Workshop:*

 This is a workshop that appeals to a broad range of ages. Children as young as 3 or 4 can successfully decorate and fly a kite, and older  youngsters enjoy showing off their artistry and flying skills. In this workshop, your group will decorate and assemble a simple kite  kit. If the weather permits, we’ll then adjourn to a nearby park  to fly our creations. There is a $2 per kite materials fee for  this workshop.

Toy-Making Workshop:

 Workshop participants assemble and paint a wooden model airplane (or  helicopter). Allow 2 to 3 hour to complete this activity. After assembling their models, participants are given a tour of the Museum  to allow time for the glue to dry. Then the models can be painted. We’ve found that a lunch break  at this point gives the paint time to dry before participants try to transport their  models home.

 This workshop fulfills one activity for the Girl Scout Toy making Badge. There is a $3.50 per toy materials fee for this workshop.

Aerospace Badge Workshop:

 This workshop is one of the more extensive we offer, and fulfills 5 of 6 required activities for a Girl Scout Aerospace Badge. Participants construct three different paper airplanes, which they then test fly to determine their differing flight characteristics. The Museum’s Curator then takes the group on a tour of the Museum  exhibits. After the tour, we  settle back down to make  kites and, if the weather permits, fly them.

 A talk and a handout about some of the jobs available in aviation is  followed by an interactive discussion of what it would be like to be  in space. Then the adults leave the room so the youngsters can have a 15-minute planning session for a 5-minute skit about a  typical day  in space. If the participants want to, and there’s  time at the end, we have an optional Treasure Hunt  that’s just for fun (there’s a nominal prize for successfully completing the  hunt

 The workshop takes about 4 hours with a small group (10 - 12), but  more time should be allowed for a larger group. It’s best to plan for a lunch break during the activities, and this generally falls most conveniently between making the kites and flying them. Please review lunch options with Museum staff prior to your arrival.

There is a $2 per person materials fee for this workshop.

Introduction to Aviation Field Trip:

 This all-day field trip is particularly suited to school groups (including home schoolers). Allow a minimum of 5 hours; larger groups  will take longer.

 The field trip opens with a talk, How Airplanes Fly.   After this, larger groups break into sections. One section does the  hands-on workshop module, while the other listens to a talk on the  Wright Brothers. Then the sections change places.

 Larger groups may choose between the Paper Airplane Workshop  module and the Kite-Making Workshop module as described above. Kite flying, weather permitting, would take place after both sections had built their kites. If there are 20 or fewer  participants, the Toy-Making Workshop is also an  option for this segment of the program. In this case, the entire group would stay together, listening to the Wright Brothers talk while the assembled models dried. Because the Toy-Making Workshop takes about 3 hours, split into two 1 1/2 hour sections, you’ll want to plan for the extra time required.

 This is usually the point at which the lunch break falls. Please  review lunch options with Museum staff prior to your arrival.

 A Museum tour follows the lunch break. The final sessions, discussing   Careers in Aviation and  Who Can Learn to Fly  are followed by the optional Treasure Hunt  (there is a nominal prize for completing the hunt . The Museum Shop is open during the lunch break, as well as during and after the  Treasure Hunt.

 Materials fees for this workshop would depend on the hands-on workshop modul chosen: Paper Airplane Workshop no additional charge; Kite-Making Workshop $2 per participant; Toy-Making Workshop $3.50 per participant.

*Workshops on the Road€�

 Workshops marked with an asterisk (*) can be taken  on the  road  and brought to your site whether it’s a classroom or a summer camp.

 The base fee for a traveling workshop is $45, plus any materials  fees, for locations within about two hours driving distance of  Fitchburg. This covers a workshop for up to 30 youngsters. Additional youngsters would be charged at the rate of $1.50 per person. If there are fewer than 30 youngsters, the materials fee(s) would be charged  on a per person basis, but we would have to charge the full base fee  to cover the presenter's expenses in getting to the workshop. We cannot provide a traveling workshop for fewer than 10 participants. Contact us for additional details or to reserve a date.

The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen:

  Baroness von Richthofen  speaks about her famous (or infamous) son, Baron von Richthofen, World War I German  Ace of Aces,  with 80 airplanes shot down credited to him. The Baroness is impersonated by the Museum’s Curator, Rosalie E. Dunbar. To  see photos, click here.

 This program can be booked for presentation to your organization. Because this presentation is done by arrangement only and usually takes place outside normal Museum hours, the Museum and Museum Shop  will be open for your members for up to 2 hours after the program at no additional charge. We can comfortably accommodate up to 40 people in the Baroness’s  parlor, so please let us know the  size of your group when you make your booking.

There is a flat fee of $200, which covers both admissions and  the program, when this is given to a group at the Museum. If we come to your location, there would be an additional charge, based on  distance, for travel. Contact us  for additional details or to arrange a booking.